


you burn so bright (you could blind somebody)

by thisloveistainted



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Grace is an icon, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, implied slow burn, kinda lol, ugh idk just take this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 05:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17861399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisloveistainted/pseuds/thisloveistainted
Summary: *spoilers for season 9, particularly episode 12 and a little bit of 13!Danny wasn’t kidding, at the hospital, when he told Steve that Grace got her bravery from him. Steve had made it sound like Danny was the only person Grace knew who constantly stuck up for the underdog, as if that wasn’t Steve’s entire personality, life, and career goal.title from flight of the stars by zayn.





	you burn so bright (you could blind somebody)

**Author's Note:**

> don’t ask why i always post fic that i’ve written in 30 mins or less at 4 am. it’s just when the inspiration hits (after a particularly heart wrenching episode) 
> 
> how many more times can we write their first kiss? i’m just gonna keep doing it bc it’s ridiculous to me that it hasn’t happened yet.

Danny knows that everyone in his life - his family, his children, his team - thinks he’s a helicopter parent. He’s aware of the lighthearted fun-poking that takes place, oftentimes behind his back, and he’s not mad about it. He knows he can be overbearing, but he’s also been a cop for a long time and has seen exactly what’s out there, so he feels justified in trying to protect his children while also trying to respect their privacy and space. It’s not like he’s a dick about it. He just loves his family and wants to keep them safe.

So when he ducks around the corner and lingers in the hallway to see if Grace will actually let Steve have a pancake (the horror!), and ends up hearing that he’s actually driving his girl a little nuts, he knows it’s time to back off a bit. He agrees readily to help solve the homicide Steve has seemingly pulled from the depths of his ass. They’re out the door with nothing more than a kiss on the cheek for each of them as Grace flounces off to her room, undoubtedly ready to watch one of the hundred TV shows she’s always trying to get Danny to watch, finally unhindered as her old man takes a load off.

Of course, this is “taking a load off” in a purely metaphorical sense. Parents (good ones, anyway) don’t get to take loads off, particularly not just after their children have been through a harrowing, near-fatal, potentially life-altering accident-that-wasn’t-really-an-accident. Alone with his partner for the first time since Grace came home, Danny turns his attention (part of it, anyway, and just for the time being) to Steve. Steve’s demeanor has been, frankly, a little concerning. Outwardly, he’s seemed to be in good spirits, joking around freely with Grace and reassuring (read: annoying) Danny any time he gets too worked up. But Danny’s not an idiot.

“What’s with the face?” 

Steve startles, clearly not expecting Danny to have been watching him. He quickly but carefully rearranges his expression into something more jovial, and Danny’s hackles rise.

“Stop that. Stop it now.”

“What- Danny, what are you talking about?”

“Tell me what’s wrong. Christ, McGarrett, it’s been nine years. You really think you can hide shit from me? Even now?” Danny can’t help it. He raises his voice a bit, just to really drive the point home. Or maybe he’s doing it to pick a fight, he can’t really tell anymore.

Steve drops the fake-happy expression immediately. He’s a doof, but not doofy enough to push Danny when he knows his partner can see right through him.

“It’s- it’s nothing, man. I just keep thinking about that fucking asshole. We got him, and he’s gonna be locked up for a long time but- but what if it happens again? God, I just- I’d die if anything happened to Grace or- or Charlie, D. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but I would.”

There’s a long silence as Danny processes this. Obviously, he now fully understands Steve’s state of mind, including the idiot’s attempts to put on a brave face and bury his feelings. If it were literally anyone else (except Rachel, obviously), Danny would probably be screaming his head off right now about how they’re his kids, and yeah, duh, he’s scared too. That’s being a parent. 

Wow. Steve isn’t Grace’s parent though, or Charlie’s. Not in an official sense, anyway. Danny wasn’t kidding, at the hospital, when he told Steve that Grace got her bravery from him. Steve had made it sound like Danny was the only person Grace knew who constantly stuck up for the underdog, as if that wasn’t Steve’s entire personality, life, and career goal.

He thinks back to the graduation video Rachel made for Grace, and how there are about a hundred pictures and videos featuring Steve. Danny has known Steve nine years, but Grace has known, loved, and looked up to Steve for half of her life. The more Danny thinks on it, the clearer it seems to him - Steve and he have been operating as a parental unit to his little girl, just like, just as much as Rachel and Stan have. 

Danny considers Steve then, who has conveniently fallen silent and steely-eyed, watching the road with intensity, jaw set, clearly trying not to overthink whatever he thinks Danny is thinking. God. Honestly, Steve is a complete idiot, but Danny would be lying if he said he hasn’t been an idiot too.

“Pull over here a sec.”

“Wh- Danny, we’re on a bridge.”

“We’re also cops, you dingus, and the road behind us is completely empty. Pull over.”

Steve makes a show of tugging the steering wheel to the side, braking, slowly putting the car in park. He’s still staring straight out of the windshield, as if avoiding eye contact is going to somehow prevent this conversation from happening.

Danny rolls his eyes. Boy, is he in for a lifetime of emotional labor.

“Steven.”

“Daniel.” 

He just barely stops himself from snarling back an insult (“Are you 12?!”) in order to say, more productively: “I love you.”

Steve’s reaction is rapid and more than a little gratifying.

“I love you too, man. Are you okay?”

Of course he thinks the only reason Danny would say that he loves him is if something was wrong. God.

“No, dummy. I- I _love you_ , love you.” He smacks his hand against his forehead. Great, sounding like a middle schooler is exactly how he was hoping the greatest love confession of his life would go.  

Steve’s jaw drops. He meets Danny’s eyes ( _finally_ ) and reaches for his hand. Danny goes willingly, intertwining their fingers and tugging Steve close.

“Look, D, I know the past few days have been really rough-“ 

Danny is about to blow an aneurysm. He’s fairly certain he doesn’t even have one, and it’s unlikely that Steve has given him one and ruptured it all in one go. Not impossible, but unlikely.

“This is not some trauma-induced thing, Steven. I love you. Have for a long time. You’re one of my kids’ parents. Tell me you feel the same way or to fuck off, either way, we’re family.”

Hey, there’s finally a real smile on Steve’s face. He shakes his head and chuckles.

“Only you could make confessing romantic love sound insulting, Danno.” 

“Only you could make it this incredibly frustrating and difficult, McGarrett.”

Steve uses their intertwined fingers and the hand he has on Danny’s face (hey, when did that get there?) to tug Danny in, to kiss him softly, to whisper “I love you, I’ve loved you forever.” 

And Danny is finally, finally at home.

—

When they get home later that evening, exhausted but satisfied, having locked up the bad guy of the day, Grace has made them dinner. Danny could cry. His daughter never ceases to be thoughtful, brilliant, and all-around amazing.

She leads them to the dining table. It’s set with two place settings, a rose in a tiny vase, and multiple mismatched candles. In between the place settings is a serving plate, stacked high with pancakes. Grace disappears out the door, packed bag in tow, yelling about staying with Step-Stan and Charlie for the night.

Danny’s working up to lecture Steve about texting and conspiring with Grace, but he forgets what he’s going to say less than a minute later. Kinda hard to lecture with Steve’s tongue in his mouth anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr at  brownkhaleesi.


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